Franco Colapinto has been a revelation since arriving to F1, delivering consistently brilliant results for Williams. However, there is only one place left on next year’s grid – and obstacles will complicate Colapinto’s chances of securing it.
No experience? No problem for outstanding Franco Colapinto
Although making conclusions after just four races is difficult, there can be doubts Franco Colapinto deserves to be in F1. He is performing at an exceptionally high level, even without any pre-season testing or significant preparation.
After a strong debut in Monza (climbing from P18 to P12) he wasted no time in going one better. The 21-year-old converted his Q3 appearance in Baku into points, before narrowly missing out on the top 10 in Singapore.
Colapinto put together another excellent drive to climb from 15th to 10th in COTA. He was also unfortunate to miss out on the fastest lap, which was only beaten by Esteban Ocon who stopped late forofresh softs.
Regardless, the Argentine is already performing at Alex Albon’s level. Considering that he was competing in Formula 3 last season, Colapinto’s rise is nothing short of outstanding.
Sauber evaluating other options for 2025
However, his prospects of earning the remaining seat on the 2025 grid are complicated.
There is no clear favourite to join Sauber, with the team only confirming that several drivers (Bottas, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Schumacher) as being under consideration.
Before last weekend’s action in COTA, Colapinto told the Fast and the Curious that being a full-time driver next season “is looking very tough.”
“It’s my dream to stay in Formula 1. That’s what I’m working for. I am going race by race, “Colapinto explained.
“This year I got an amazing opportunity I took with both hands. But my goal is to stay in Formula 1, I came to stay – that is the reality.
“I am giving by best to try to show what I am capable of, and that I deserve a seat in Formula 1…
“But of course, the seat point of view – I think it is looking very tough for next year. I am not thinking about 2025, not really. I am fully focused on this year.”
Ultimately, there is no denying that Franco Colapinto is deserving of racing on the grid next year. His on-track performances, and charisma away from it, are extremely rare for someone with such little experience.
With that said, F1 is hardly a sport where fairness always triumphs. Many drivers are vying for the final vacant seat at Sauber. A variety of different considerations could put mean that Colapinto misses out.
Then again, this is not necessarily a bad thing for the Argentine. The Swiss team have not been competitive since 2022, and they show little sign of progressing next year.
Colapinto will still be on the radar of several teams going into 2026 – including Williams. Assuming that he misses out on a full-time contract next year, it will surely be a matter of time until he gets one.
After all, as evidenced over the last two years, things can change very quickly in the F1 driver market.
